The Last of Us Developer Naughty Dog Welcomes God of War Artist
Raf Grassetti, known for his work as a principal artist on God of War and art director on God of War Ragnarök, is embarking on a new journey at Naughty Dog, the studio behind The Last of Us. This move comes after the closure of Netflix’s “AAA” studio earlier this year.
Grassetti’s career trajectory includes joining Sony Santa Monica in 2013 and eventually becoming the studio art director in 2022. After departing Santa Monica last May, he joined Netflix Games to collaborate on a new AAA project with industry veterans like Joseph Staten, Chacko Sonny, and Jerry Edsall. Unfortunately, Netflix discontinued the project and shut down the studio without disclosing the team’s work.
Speculations suggest that Joseph Staten might have returned to Halo Studios, given the timing of his departure from Netflix. Grassetti, on the other hand, announced his return to PlayStation by joining Naughty Dog as the art director. He expressed his excitement on social media and thanked everyone involved in making this transition possible.
The specific project Grassetti will be working on at Naughty Dog remains a mystery. The studio has not released a new game (excluding remasters) since The Last of Us Part 2 in 2020. While Naughty Dog canceled its standalone The Last of Us multiplayer game last year, hints indicate that the studio is developing more single-player games, possibly including The Last of Us Part 3. Additionally, there are rumors about a fantasy-themed title in the works. The focus of Grassetti’s role at Naughty Dog is yet to be unveiled.